Gisel Calvillo, Lead Makeup Artist
Gisel Calvillo is a senior artist at MAC. She grew up in northern California, and spent summers in Mexico, where she was born, helping out in her aunt’s salon and learning the business. As she explains, “Each person who sits in your chair inspires you and helps to sharpen your skills.” She describes herself as “the California girl with a Mexican heart.”
Calvillo’s career journey started early. At age four, when her grandmother wanted to buy her a gift, she asked for a lipstick. In high school, she took every art-related class on offer, and won awards for drawing. She often walked by the MAC counter in her local department store and was inspired by its sense of fun. One day, she went up to the counter and applied to be a freelancer.
Twelve years later, Calvillo works on projects around the world, including fashion weeks, magazine editorials, and hosting her own workshops. She also manages a large stable of private clients whom she works with on public appearances. Her main point of reference is timeless elegance, personified by the likes of Cleopatra, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Sophia Loren. She also loves strong female subjects such as French novelist George Sand. “Art history and the world that once was” inspire her.
Calvillo has a few strategies when approaching her work. She begins by asking her client about possible muses or periods in history that they would like to embody. Then she sets to work ensuring that her client’s natural features are showcased. “Each situation is different and you need the right skills while also adapting to different clients and different briefs,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you can always wipe it off and start again.”
Kayley Pak, Stylist
Kayley Pak has been at John Barrett since 2006. Hair and fashion have always been her passion, and her desire to pursue both brought her to New York City to follow her dreams. In New York and beyond, she’s renowned for her exceptional braiding. Her fashion-forward braid and beauty tips have been featured in publications such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Martha Stewart Living, Marie Claire, O the Oprah Magazine, Bon Appetit, and Time Out New York.
Kayley has often been called upon to style celebrities and models; whether it is an early morning style for a press tour or runway looks for top designers at NYFW, she is always on-trend. She honed her skills working with industry leaders including Aveda, Bumble & Bumble, Kerastase, Schwarzkopf, Oscar Blandi, and Saks Fifth Avenue Salon, and her impressive work has taken her to Texas, Shanghai, and Los Angeles. Her Instagram page showcases her swoon-worthy Game of Thrones-inspired intricate braids and twists.
Although she’s famed for her braids, she’s just as talented in cutting, styling, and up-dos. She is also well versed in breathtaking bridal hair for wedding parties. She hails from Texas, and her warm and friendly personality makes all of her clients feel at ease in her chair.
